Edmund Burke (Paperback, New edition)

Morley's life of Burke is unique among political biographies. It is the biography of one politician and literary man written by another. Each was influential both as a political writer and as a practising politician. Each was a strong party man, and yet each broke with his part at a critical moment on an issue of principle. Burke split the Whig Party because its leaders would not support him in preaching war against the French Revolution. Morley, having held senior Cabinet positions in the governments led by Gladstone, Campbell-Bannerman and Asquith, resigned from Asquith's government in August 1914, after he had failed to dissuade it from making war on Germany. Morley was a major influence in Liberal politics before he entered parliament. As editor of the "Fortnightly Review" he had tried to develop a coherent and adequate culture of its own for the middle class which had become the dominant class under the Reform Act. This was a continuation of Richard Cobden's campaign against "feudal" culture in English capitalism. Morley recommended to his readers the French "Enlightenment" writers denounced by Burke. Morley and Burke were antitheses both personally and in what they represented socially. Morley's biography is neither nostalgia for the old order, nor vituperation against it, but a critical assimilation of Burke into middle class culture. It is the kind of thing which socialist writers failed to do with relation to either Morley or Burke - a failure which rendered British socialist culture brittle, and ready to crumble at the first touch of Thatcherism. Brendan Clifford provides an introduction about Morley and Burke, and a postscript on a recent book on Burke by C.C. O'Brien. A guide to the main personages referred to is also included.

General

Imprint:	Athol Books
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	July 1993
Authors:	John Morley
Editors:	Brendan Clifford
Dimensions:	222 x 158mm (L x W)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	168
Edition:	New edition
ISBN-13:	978-0-85034-068-6
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Historical, political & military Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Humanities > History > British & Irish history > General Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political ideologies > Liberalism & centre democratic ideologies Books > History > British & Irish history > General Books > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Biography > Historical, political & military
LSN:	0-85034-068-3
Barcode:	9780850340686

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